


Merry Christmas, Kid

by slowmohomos



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: M/M, merry christmas to all and to all a good night, some fluff for the soul
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-25
Updated: 2016-12-25
Packaged: 2018-09-11 21:58:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,679
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9035951
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slowmohomos/pseuds/slowmohomos
Summary: Allison and Dan whisk Neil away. Gift fic for waldcnsheas on tumblr.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas, waldcnsheas! I'm your secret santa! I hope you like it :)

Despite the noise of the tv and the team, Neil's head slowly sunk closer and closer to his chest with each passing minute. His eyes flickered open and shut, and every few minutes, he would jerk back awake, blink furiously to clear his head, and try to focus.   
"Neil, wake the fuck up. This game is crucial to beating the Jackals this year!" Kevin smacked Neil across the chest with the back of his hand.   
Neil's head whipped back up, his hand coming up to rub at his face.  
"Shut up, Kevin, I'm awake."   
"No you're not! Go get some coffee or something, jackass."   
Slowly, Neil uncurled from his spot against the arm of the loveseat that he and Andrew were seated on. As he walked back to the small fridge in the corner of the team room, he didn't notice the dirty look Andrew threw at Kevin. Neil also didn't notice Matt rounding the corner in front of him until his face was planted in Matt's abs.  
"Whoa, hey, Neil." Matt put his hands on Neil's shoulders and pushed him back slightly. "Hey, just so you know, Allison and Dan wanna talk to you after practice, so don't skip out too fast, 'kay?"   
Neil nodded, still slightly groggy. Chuckling, Matt stepped aside and left to change.   
"Neil! Hurry up!" Kevin had paused the tv and leaned up over the edge of the chair to yell, so he didn't catch Wymack approaching until his hand had already made contact with the back of his head.  
"Kevin, shut it. Practice is in fifteen, so get your ass to the locker room. That goes for you too, Hemmick!" 

After practice, Dan and Allison immediately pulled Neil to the side of the court, still sweating and red-faced.   
"You're not getting away with it this time, kid," Allison grinned, "We've seen the holes in those sneakers."   
Neil grimaced. "Don't tell me."   
"Yup! We're taking you out, bucko!"   
Neil's head fell back and he groaned aloud. "My shoes are fine."   
"If by fine, you mean falling apart and holey like a colander," Dan said, slinging an arm around Neil's shoulders and grinning when he didn't flinch away.   
They led him back to the locker room, discussing the details with each other as he commented occasionally.  
"You can bring your pet if you want, but he can't sulk around like usual, got it?" Allison examined her nails casually.  
"Okay, one: not my pet. Two, he'll probably want to help with picking out a pair. Three, sulking?"   
Dan laughed. "Sulking isn't exactly right. More like skulking, actually. Just bring him along, we'll meet you there."   
"Pfft. You and I both know he's gotten better," Neil huffed fondly. "Where in the mall again?"  
"I'll text you about it later."  
Dan and Allison stepped away, moving towards the girls' side of the locker room. Neil turned and noticed, for the first time, Andrew waiting for him outside the boys' side. Andrew's head turned lazily, watching the girls walk away, then turned back to Neil.   
Neil's features softened further as their eyes met. Andrew scoffed, pushing off the wall and disappearing into the locker room. A grin broke out on Neil's face, and he followed. 

 

Three days later, the weekend came. Students on campus came and went freely, spending their time as wantonly as possible, and with the emptying of the athletes' dorms at Fox Tower came a soft, quiet air.  
Unfortunately, this air was quickly broken. Nicky scrambled away from the dorm he shared with Aaron and one of the freshmen. As he passed the open door of Kevin, Neil, and Andrew's dorm, he ducked in for a moment.   
"Whatever he says it's not my fault! I swear to god!" He dove back out and made a break for the elevator.   
From his place in front of the stove, Neil squinted and glanced at the clock. Too early. He shook his head, yawning widely. It was rare they got a day to sleep in, and Nicky just had to come in and wake everyone up.   
Andrew shuffled into the kitchenette, glaring away at the open door. He took the plate of eggs and the mug Neil pushed at him with little resistance and left to collapse on the couch beside Kevin.   
The freshman Nicky and Aaron shared with appeared at the door, covered head to toe in flour.  
"Where."  
"He's not here. Probably headed into town," Neil called over his shoulder distractedly, trying to keep his eggs from burning. The freshman (John? Jacob? Something to that effect?) turned and stalked away.   
Neil plopped his eggs into a tortilla, sprinkled a bit of cheese on them, and turned off the burner. He wrapped it up and took it to the couch.   
"Remember, we're going to the mall with Dan and Allison today."   
Andrew sunk a bit further into the couch. His face twisted slightly.  
"Did you want to stay here?"   
His features relaxed into a more apathetic state.   
"I can just ask Matt for a ride. I think he's going out for groceries anyway."

The radio blasted the second Matt turned the ignition, startling them both. Matt immediately swatted at the knob, grimacing at the device.   
"Sorry about that. Always forget how loud it gets with the truck going."   
"It's fine." Matt turned a look on Neil that could've frozen a puddle.   
"What'd we say about that?" Neil rolled his eyes.  
"It's okay. I don't mind blasting my ears out."   
Matt scoffed, but otherwise didn't respond. The truck rumbled out of Fox Tower's parking lot and on to Perimeter Road.   
"So why's your boy not coming along?"  
Neil shrugged. "He wasn't enthusiastic about it, so I wasn't going to force him."   
"Hmm. And that's it?" Neil glanced over at him.  
"I didn't take you for the nosey type." Matt chuckled.   
"Sorry. You two are just normally joined at the hip, y'know?"   
"It's fine." Matt fixed him with the same look, but Neil didn't pay attention, just stared out the window. The silence settled into something friendlier and more comfortable.  
The truck slowed to a stop outside the mall. Neil popped the door open and jumped the half a foot or so to the ground.  
"Well, have a good time, at least. Tell Dan I love her!"   
Neil waved a hand behind him as he walked away, smiling.

"Neil, over here! Neil!"   
Dan's hand waved in the air, catching his attention and bringing it to the table she and Allison had claimed. It was already filled with bags, large and small, as they had already been there for a good two hours. Neil nearly sat down, but Dan jumped up and began gathering some of the bags.  
"C'mon, we're going downstairs to this one shop." Neil's brow wrinkled.  
"Where?"  
"It doesn't matter, just c'mon. Also, carry these."   
When they stepped into the store, Allison pushed him towards the men's section, sitting him down at a bench and whisking away through the aisles. Dan sat down next to him and sighed.   
"She can be pretty energetic when she wants to be." Neil stared at her.  
"Why are you so tired? How long have you guys been here?"  
"We've been here for hours! She just keeps going and going!" Dan slumped back against the wall and slid down to rest her head against his shoulder. Neil glanced down at her and patted her head.   
"How are you and Andrew doing?"   
"Fine."  
"Neil."   
"Seriously, we're good. He just didn't want to come." She shifted to look up at him.  
"What's that for?"  
"Neil."   
Neil sighed. "I'm getting better at reading him. It always seems like he knows what I'm thinking even when I don't say anything, and I'm finally catching up on that account."  
"That's good. Communication is key."   
"Well. Can I actually ask you something?"   
"Sure, kid." Neil shifted slightly.  
"How do you know if you want to marry someone or not? I know it's a big step, and it requires a lot of thought, but I just. I could barely recognize that I liked him at first." By the end of the first sentence, he was almost whispering.   
Dan stilled.   
"Well. I know that. That I want to spend the rest of my life with Matt. I really love him. We as two people stand to benefit from it. It is a personal choice, dependent on whether or not both of you want it and can make each other's lives better with it."  
Neil was silent for a moment. When he spoke, he still whispered.  
"Sometimes I can't even tell if this is really what he wants."   
Dan sat up. She turned and looked him straight in the eye.  
"Andrew wouldn't bother if he didn't want you. You've heard him before. He doesn't put the effort in if it's not something he wants. He's pretty into you, kid."   
She pulled him in, resting his head on the crook of her neck. She squeezed him tight, once, twice, and let him go.  
"Now, take those ratty shits off and let's get you something better, okay?"   
Allison swept back towards them, dropping two boxes next to Neil.   
"I know they'll fit, so just tell me if you like them." Neil opened the first box and almost grimaced. The shoes were solid, shiny white, with black laces and thread, and a thin strip of gold along the sides. Allison out and out laughed.   
"So not those." He picked up the second box, and his eyes widened slightly. These were more his style. The boots came up to mid-calf and folded down, secured with a single strap on the side, and the inside lining was a bright, graphic print, not too flashy.   
He undid his own shoes and put them on, marveling at the soft padding and perfect fit. Neil glanced up at Allison.  
"These ones are really nice. How much are they?" She laughed again, took the box, and strode off towards the counter. Neil looked at Dan, almost alarmed, before Allison came back, a moment later.  
"Merry Christmas, kid. Quit looking so shocked."


End file.
